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Centre defers forest clearance for Navi Mumbai airport, again

While the FAC sought revision in the compensatory afforestation schemes for the primary proposal, it has sought more information on the proposal seeking clearance to use 22.5 hectares of forest.

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File photo of land allotted for Navi Mumbai airport
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The forest advisory committee (FAC) of the Union environment and the forest and climate change ministry have again deferred Stage-II forest clearance for the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) as they found deficiencies in the compensatory afforestation scheme, official documents revealed.

The NMIA project requires diversion of 250 hectares of forest land, comprising dense mangroves. Additionally, the City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) also needs 22.5 hectares of forest for rehabilitating project-affected persons (PAPs) for which they have applied for a separate clearance.

While the FAC sought revision in the compensatory afforestation schemes for the primary proposal, it has sought more information on the proposal seeking clearance to use 22.5 hectares of forest.

The NMIA project was granted in-principal forest clearance in 2013 subject to 33 conditions and even as one of the conditions stipulated Cidco to not rehabilitate PAPs in forest land. That prompted the agency to seek a separate forest clearance for the 22.5 hectares of protected and reserved forest.

According to official documents reviewed by dna, the FAC found that the sites identified for compensatory afforestation were unsuitable and already has dense vegetation. It said, "Compensatory afforestation scheme shall be revised. Extra land shall be identified as some of the CA patches are having very high vegetation density and some of the CA areas seem to be unsuitable for plantation as they fall in rocky terrain devoid of soil."

Speaking to dna, V Radha, joint managing director, Cidco said that by separating the proposal to seek forest clearance for 22.5 hectares of forest land a "major hurdle was cleared" as that issue was holding up the airport's forest clearance. She said that Cidco expects final clearance soon after the compensatory afforestation scheme is revised.

"For the fresh proposal of 22.5 hectares of forest land, we have to provide land use details. As far as compensatory afforestation scheme is concerned, we are awaiting ministry's directions and subsequently, we will submit the modified plan," V Radha said.
 

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